By: Nancy VanReece
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of being part of many efforts that asked Nashville to imagine something new.
I’ve worked alongside neighbors, business leaders, artists, educators, nonprofit organizations, and public officials to help shape parks, housing initiatives, community spaces, cultural programs, and economic development projects. While each effort was different, they all had one thing in common: they required people to believe in a vision before it became reality.
Today, I’m asking Nashville to do that again.
A professional women’s basketball team is coming to our city. Front Office, Basketball Operations, and Game Day Experience infrastructure is underway.
The first game is still months away. The team name has not yet been announced. The jerseys haven’t been unveiled. The traditions that will define this franchise have not yet been created.
In many ways, we are still writing the first chapter.
And that’s exactly what makes this moment so special.
Across America, women’s sports are experiencing unprecedented growth. New audiences are discovering the excitement, competitiveness, and community that women’s athletics inspire. Attendance records are being broken. Television ratings continue to climb. Investment is growing. Most importantly, young girls are seeing possibilities that previous generations rarely had the opportunity to imagine.
Nashville deserves to be part of that story.
This city has a rich basketball tradition. From legendary collegiate programs to generations of young athletes competing in gyms and on playgrounds throughout our neighborhoods, basketball has long been woven into the fabric of our community. At last, Nashville has a professional women’s basketball team to call our own.
We Have the Ball. Time to Dribble, Pass, or Shoot.
When our inaugural season tips off in 2027, it will represent more than the launch of a sports franchise. It will represent a new opportunity for our city to celebrate excellence, create community, and inspire the next generation.
Nancy VanReece, President/CEO, Nashville UPSHOT, LLC | Photo: Heather Hillhouse | Location: VERTICAL GYMS
I often think about what opening night will feel like.
Imagine thousands of fans gathered together at Memorial Gym. Families sharing a new tradition. Young athletes wearing the colors of their hometown team. Friends and neighbors creating memories that will last a lifetime.
Somewhere in those stands will be a young girl attending her first professional basketball game. She may not know who helped make that moment possible. She may never know which companies, organizations, community leaders, and supporters stepped forward during these early days.
But history will.
Because every great civic institution has a beginning.
Every beloved Nashville tradition started because someone was willing to invest before success was guaranteed. Someone believed before everyone else did. Someone decided that building something meaningful was worth the effort.
That’s where we are today.
Over the next several months, we will continue listening, engaging, and building throughout the community. This September, we will unveil the team’s name and identity. Next spring, we will continue preparing for our inaugural season. And in 2027, Nashville will finally have a professional women’s basketball team to call its own.
The story is still being written.
The exciting part is that there is still room for people throughout Nashville to help shape what comes next
Years from now, when people look back on the launch of our professional women’s basketball in Nashville, they’ll remember the games, the players, and the moments that unfolded on the court.
But they’ll also remember the people who helped build it.
And that’s a story worth being part of.
Reach out to our new Director of Corporate Partnerships. We want your story to be part of ours. Dajanae.Cole@NashvilleUpshot.com